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What’s the rumour?
Barcelona superstar Ivan Rakitic, who has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, is set to leave the Camp Nou at the end of the season. The former Sevilla star is close to joining Inter, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
In case you didn’t know
Inter Milan were linked with a move for Croatia captain Luka Modric in the summer but couldn’t sign him due to the stance of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. As a result, they have turned their attention towards Modric’s compatriot and it seems as though they might get a Croat midfielder after all.
The heart of the matter
According to the report, Inter have already made an offer of €35 million for the former Schalke star. Barcelona, however, want €45 million for Rakitic and the general consensus is that an agreement could be reached at somewhere around €40 million.
Rakitic’s contract with Barcelona is until 2021 and he currently earns €5.5 million a year with the Catalans. Inter, meanwhile, are willing to offer him a three-year deal at the Giuseppe Meazza.
Rumour rating: 7/10
GDS are quite reliable when it comes to Serie A news. This deal also ticks all the boxes as it benefits everyone involved. Barcelona have Frenkie De Jong and, possibly, Adrien Rabiot coming in the summer and selling Rakitic would not only generate some money but would also free up some of the wage bill.
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What’s next?
Regardless of whether Rakitic goes in the summer, his importance to the team can’t be overstated currently. The Catalans would be hoping that these talks won’t adversely affect the Croat as the crunch part of the season is ahead of them.
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